Monday, July 05, 2010

Out of the Bag!

Juvenile GW with narrower teeth identifying him as a Fish-eater.

After months of quiet & meticulous preparation, Lawrence has unveiled his latest project.

This is as cool as it gets - and really important!
He will be trying to film juvenile Great Whites as they migrate along the coast of Southern California. This is a veritable running of the gauntlet as although GWs are protected in the USA and along Mexico's Baja peninsula, many get killed as bycatch and due to poaching.
According to some sources, there may well be as little as 3,500 GWs left world wide and those juveniles are the key to the survival of the North-Eastern Pacific population, estimated to comprise only between 200 and 300 individuals.

May the quest be successful and yield amazing images!
Full -and amazing- story here.

5 comments:

Diving Discoveries said...

Cool stuff,
Will Lawrence only film the fish or will he tag GWs and release them?

DaShark said...

No idea!

Click on the link to his blog & ask him!

BeachNomad said...

Hopefully he gets some data on the timing and pattern of their migrations. Filming is good and important, but finding this information could go toward protecting them from bycatch and direct fishing if it was possible close a corridor to fishing when the animals come through (If they are showing a pattern anyway).

Robert said...

Good luck Lawrence & crew.
That is so awesome!!!!
You are a true pioneer of very cool stuff.
Never on your ass...always doing something for the sharks.
Hope your efforts are very successful and you get some exciting results.

DaShark said...

Hi Jon

I'm frankly not aware of the precise details - but from what I can see, TOPP and others have already collected more than ample data on that migration.

Plus, GWs are already protected there - at least on paper.

But as always, the transition from data to policy is slow, and translating the policy into real practical action on the ground, even slower, more difficult and more expensive.

Genuine involuntary bycatch is always going to happen - but it would be great if the Mexican authorities could curb the targeted fisheries for fake "swordfish".
Maybe with the help of some US conservationists - as in cleaning up one's front yard first?

Maybe a PETITION - and some POSTERS in the Ensenada fish market?